1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing multilayer ceramic capacitors or other electronic components using high-dielectric-constant ceramics, and to a burn-in apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such electronic components must be tested in various ways including burn-in tests before they are shipped. As known in the art, in burn-in tests, predetermined loads are placed on the electronic components in order to screen the electronic components. More specifically, a constant voltage (burn-in voltage) more than a rated voltage is applied to the electronic components at a constant temperature (burn-in temperature) more than a rated temperature for a predetermined short time (burn-in time), and their insulation resistance is measured. The electronic components whose insulation resistance is lower than a predetermined value are rejected.
When a burn-in voltage is applied to an electronic component at a burn-in temperature, the electronic component is self-heated due to a load current, and actually the burn-in temperature defined by a thermostatic oven is not maintained. The self-heating temperature itself differs from one electronic component to another.
One burn-in method of the related art, which provides accurate burn-in while maintaining the self-heating temperature of electronic components constant, applies constant power (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-102312 (page 4, FIG. 3)). 
This related-art burn-in method is suitable for an electronic component whose consumption power can be precisely controlled based on an external control signal, but is not suitable for an electronic component, such as a capacitor, whose consumption power cannot be precisely controlled based on an external control signal alone.